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Friday, May 31, 2013

Fabulous Friday Feature-Joselyn Vaughn

Today I welcome an author who has chosen to give a portion of the proceeds from her recent book, Climbing Heartbreak Hill, to One Fund Boston to help those who were injured. She is a Christ-like lady who can warm your heart: Joselyn Vaughn

Enter to win Joselyn's book,

Sucker for a Hot Rod

Scroll to the end of the post to see how to enter.

I met Joselyn when I moved to Michigan and joined the local ACFW chapter. We immediately connected and I found what a wonderful friend she was. When talking with her I asked her to share how God has led her on her journey. This is what she answered:

How God Has Lead Me on My Writing Journey

It can be simply described as ‘in His time.’

And as much as I want to struggle against that and have things happen when I want them to, God’s timing has been best.

In high school and college, I could never fit writing classes into my schedule. My parents believed I had some talent and allowed me to enroll in a correspondence course which taught me an abundance about story structure, but I never had time to do anything with it.

The dream lingered, but was buried under grad school, a new job, and all the other things of life. Every now and then, it would pop to the surface. I would take an online writing class, but never went much farther than the assignments. I knew I wanted to write, but I didn’t know what.

One day, my co-worker and I were discussing a story idea related to some things that had happened at our library. I went home at lunch and started writing. A month or so later, I was searching for program ideas for the library and decided to try a writing group. I received a quick response from W.S. Gager, who had taken a leadership class with me a few years before. She was writing, too. Did we want to meet?

We started meeting weekly. The writing group at the library took off. We met a lot of aspiring writers that encouraged us to keep going. From that group, Tess Grant, J.Q. Rose, W.S. Gager and I formed a core group, determined to see our work published. As I came closer to finishing my novel, I started sending queries to agents. There were a few nibbles, but no offers.

I stopped working at the library when my twins were born, but kept writing. Since no agents offered contracts, I sent queries to a couple editors, but figured the manuscript was destined from burial among the dust bunnies and dog hair under my bed. Then one of the editors offered me a contract.

Since then I’ve written and contracted six books. With my kids as preschoolers, writing gives me an outlet to keep my mind functioning amid the repeated questions about when snack time is and when we are going to Grandma’s house. Not having an agent, also gives me the flexibility to work at my own pace. I don’t have deadlines looming while the kids get sick; I can work around their schedule.

I’ve also found publishers are interested in what I am writing, not something like what I am writing where I have to add scenes or situations that I’m not comfortable writing about. I’m writing sweet romances that I can share with my family and friends and even my mother (who still has issues with what I write, but I suppose that’s what mothers are for).

As I look back, if anything had happened differently, I could have deadlines that I was overstressed about, travel commitments that would take me away from my kids and their special events, or be pressured to write things that I wasn’t comfortable with. As I look back, it’s easy to see that God is guiding my career and putting the right people there when I needed them.

While at times I wish there was more money or that I could write faster and my career would take off, right now God had given me what I can handle.

My Bible study has been studying the book of Exodus and how God told the Israelites that He would deliver them from his oppression in Egypt, yet they had to wait through all the plagues (I’m not comparing writing to locusts and hail.). But I imagine the people were wondering when their deliverance was going to come. Later when the Egyptians were chasing them across the Red Sea, He told the Israelites to be still. Both are good reminders when I wish my career was on a steeper trajectory.

I live in the Great Lakes state with my husband, three rambunctious children and two barking Beagles (I suppose that is redundant.) When not suffering the woes of potty training three toddler/preschoolers, I enjoy reading, running (sometimes it's fleeing the craziness at home), reconstructing clothing, thrift store shopping and surfing Pinterest.com. (I spend way too much time there and am getting all kinds of exciting ideas for projects for my husband to do. He is less than thrilled by this.)

I love writing romance because I enjoy stories where everything works out all right in the end and the main characters have a happily ever after. My stories are set in small towns with quirky characters that take on a life of their own.

The road to publication has different routes. Joselyn found one without an agent. Which shows me God knows our needs, our understandings, and helps us complete the goal He's given in a way we can handle. How has God guided you to complete a difficult task?

14 comments:

So enjoyed learning more about you, Joselyn! What an inspiring path you've had. (And I'm with you--isn't it grand when we don't have to compromise our beliefs/value system just to write in scenes contrary to Godly principles?!)

This was such an encouraging post about doing things God's way and in His timing. I would like to read the pdf assuming my computer can receive it if I should be fortunate enough to win your book.

I have had lots of computer issues lately so I have not been able to visit this blog lately, and I have missed it! I need to catch up on reading past posts. I am at a one night vacation spot with wireless so here I am on one of my favorite blogs!

Thanks for sharing your journey,Joselyn. As I revise my first novel, the first book in a YA series, this post reminds me of what I've been sure of since I put the first word on the computer screen -- it's God's story and He's asked me to tell it. "In His time" is such an important mind set to have.

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According to new FTC rules I must let you, the reader know, that all views shared on this blog are strictly my own. Books to review are either provided for me by the author, publisher or ones I have purchased and I am under no obligation whatsoever to present anything, but my true opinion on any product. I receive no monetary compensation for anything written on this blog. Any giveaways on this blog are provided by the author/ publisher and I am not responsible for any views they express in their work or on this site. Giveaways are void were prohibited and chances of winning are based on the number of applicants. A random winner is drawn when a book is given away.